


Dreamscape

by doobler



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Established Relationship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), it ends happily dont worry, minor Infinity War spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 09:43:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15167945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doobler/pseuds/doobler
Summary: Stephen winds up trapped in his own head so its up to Tony to save him before the sorcerer succumbs to insanity





	Dreamscape

Magic was still pretty alien to Tony Stark. He was surrounded by it, living in harmony with it, but he refused to make any big leaps in understanding it. Science was his own magic and that was all he needed. Despite his protests, the universe seemed intent on changing that.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" Tony grimaced, recalibrating his gauntlets for a third time.

"Yes," Wong replied firmly. "The curse on Stephen's mind won't subside with his magic alone, he's too far gone. He needs someone there to pull him out."

"Why can't you pull him out then?"

"I have to keep everything in check on the outside."

Wong crossed his arms, one brow rising up a fraction.

"Plus, given his state, it's not  _my_  face he wishes to see."

Tony groaned. He'd fight tooth and nail to save his boyfriend and already had done so in the past. Now, in the calm and quiet of the Sanctum Sanctorum, he found himself unable to reign in his whining. 

"Fine, fine," He exhaled slowly, tapping the toes of his boots against the old hardwood floors. "And you're sure I shouldn't bring in my full Iron Man suit?"

"Yes. Bringing in too much tech could upset the natural balance within him. Even what you have is a bit much."

Tony looked down at himself. The gauntlets were a must but the new Iron Boot prototypes were probably too risky. He huffed a frustrated sigh, thumbing the locks. The footwear unbuckled with a hydraulic hiss, collapsing into a pair of metal slippers. He set them on a nearby table, making sure they didn't touch anything suspicious.

"Alright. What do I do?"

Wong gestured for Tony to sit. He rounded the body of his beloved sorcerer and settled just above his head. Stephen looked so peaceful, laying in a straight line on the floor with a pillow underneath his head. Once Tony stopped squirming, Wong raised his hands and closed his eyes. A matrix of glowing blue runes carved into the wood, trapping Stephen in a complex ring of magical energy. Tony watched, holding his breath.

"I can't tell you what you might find," Wong spoke up, eyes fluttering open. "I can only warn you to stay on guard. Are you ready?"

He nodded. Stephen was floating a foot in the air, hovering at eye level with Tony. On Wong's command, he bent his neck forward, touching Stephen's forehead with his own.

Everything went white.

 

When the light cleared, the first thing Tony's brain registered was the air. It was clear and crisp. He could feel his lungs stretch to fill as if shaking off the smog and smoke that came from living in a huge city. A delicate breeze danced across his skin, carrying with it the scent of incense and spice.

Blinking away the harsh light, Tony tried to get a good look at his surroundings. He was standing in a courtyard with sandy copper stones. Pagodas lined every edge, each walkway boasting a display of delicate Eastern architecture. Large bonsai sat in lovingly maintained plots of dirt. When Tony peered over the complex, he could see snowy mountain peeks peering over the horizon.

"This must be Kamar-Taj..." He mumbled to himself.

Tony began to walk, peering into various rooms and windows. It was easy to see why such a peaceful place had a home in Stephen's subconscious. Not only was it incredibly zen but it'd been the birthplace of his enlightenment. The Strange that existed today had, in a sense, been molded here. 

"Stephy?!" Tony cupped his hands around his mouth, calling out. "Sweetheart, it's time to go! I'm here to get you the fuck outta this mess!"

He rounded a corner and stopped suddenly, brows shooting up his forehead.

Stephen was perfectly fine. Better than fine it seemed. He was reclined against a rather comfortable looking bench, surrounded by a flock of men. They weren't just any men; they were all Tony. Each one looked slightly different, leading him to believe they were copies of himself from alternate realities. They draped themselves around him, some clinging to his sides, others relaxing nearby. One held Stephen's head in his lap, gently stroking his fingers through his hair. A few seemed to be enjoying a snack, drinking from mugs similar to Stephen's. If Tony had to guess, it was probably filled with strong tea and bourbon. A tray of fruit and finger food was balanced on another one's lap.

"Oh my god, Stephen, you absolute slut."

Dozens of pairs of eyes shot upward. Tony stood with his hands on his hips, grinning from ear to ear. It took a moment for Stephen to focus, his expression morphing from confusion to utter delight.

"Tony!" He beamed, sitting upright. "Wow, this is. This is a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save you, dumbass," Tony snickered. As he walked closer, the other Tonys followed him with their eyes. A couple waved, others winked. "You've been comatose for a week, we need our favorite sorcerer back. I need my boyfriend back."

"Comatose?" Stephen echoed, tilting his head to one side.

"Yeah. Wong says you took on some real strong sorcerer on your own and... Got real fucked up. Something about a lingering curse that's keeping you prisoner in your own subconscious.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," One of the Tonys spoke up. He had bright blue eyes and a skintight bodysuit on. "There's been some real nasty shit hanging around the fringes of your mind."

"Really?" Stephen blinked owlishly.

"We've been keeping you safe." Another piped up, with hazel eyes and a devilish smile.

"It was best to protect the last bit of your sanity rather than fight the threat," One on the floor chimed in. Tony was amazed at how muscular he was. "We knew your Stark would come in and save you at some point."

"... Your brain's antibodies are copies of me," Tony giggled. "That's fucking rich, I'm never letting you live that down."

"Of course they're you, douche bag," Stephen replied smoothly, smiling wider when one of them kissed his cheek. "Who else would I trust to keep my most sacred assest safe?"

Tony's face flushed a heady scarlet. He crossed his arms, trying his best to appear defiant. Stephen's tinkling laughter only made it worse.

"So how do we get you out of here safely?" Tony cut in.

"You'll have to fight off the threat," The blue-eyed copy piped up. "If you can destroy its prescene here in Stephen's mind, he'll be able to exorcise it from his physical body."

"You were poisoned by the way," One said casually, swiping locks of black hair from his forehead. "There's about 10mm-- wait. No, 11.5mm of a heavy metallic poison inside of you right now. It's absolutely fucking bursting with dark magicks."

"Damn. And here I thought I'd made a new friend."

Stephen pushed himself up off the bench, twisting to either side and popping his spine. The Tony clones stared at him with such unabashed adoration, it made the true Tony's heart squeeze. After all this, he'd take Stephen out for a really romantic date with flowers and steaks, the whole kit and caboodle. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you sure you should be coming with me?" Tony watched him stretch. He suddenly realized Stephen was wearing his clothes, dressed in a faded ACDC t-shirt and ratty jeans. "What happens if he gets beat to hell in here?"

"If Stephen gets defeated..." The Tony speaking looked somber. He reached out, taking one scarred hand in both of his own. "He essentially goes insane. He'll lose himself completely and..."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that," Stephen soothed. He bent down at the waist, dropping a kiss against the clone's awaiting lips. "I'll have Earth's best defender keeping me in check."

Stephen paused, sweeping his eyes across his flock of boyfriends. A glimmer of melancholy shone in his gaze. He let out a soft sigh before waving his hand. The clones disappeared one by one, fading out of existence. The smell of iron shavings and cologne filled the air.

"They'll be waiting for me," Stephen explained. When he turned back to his real Tony, he was suddenly dressed in his dark blue sorcerer's robes. "If we fail... I'll just retreat even deeper and they'll keep me safe until Wong can figure something else out."

"Well tell them to relax," Tony beamed, emanating confidence. "Because we're gonna fucking do this, first try, no sweat."

Stephen glided across the stone courtyard, scooping Tony up into his arms. The smaller man yelped as he was hefted up to eye-level. He probably weighed nothing here.

"This is why you're in my head." The sorcerer crooned, dipping his head for a tender kiss. 

"Okay, okay, we can get all fucking gross later," Tony chuckled. His heart ached and he wasn't entirely sure how to process such unbridled affection. "First we have to save you."

"Got it, let's go."

 

Kamar-Taj, or at least the one in Stephen's mind, was silent.

The breeze has stopped. The air was odorless. It was quiet as the dead. Tony assumed it was Stephen's subconscious bracing for a fight. He was focusing too hard on a battle plan to keep up the illusion of his adopted home.

"Here we are."

Tony skidded to a sharp stop, nearly bumping into the sorcerer. The courtyard came to an abrupt drop off, brick and wood seemingly sliced clean off. Ahead of them was endless space. The empty partitions between landscapes was filled with a map of stars and constellations, no doubt fuzzy memories from Stephen's frequent trips through the cosmos.

"This is the deepest haven in my mind," Stephen spoke up, pointing forward. "We're gonna have to move upwards until we reach the parts this  _parasite_  has taken refuge in."

"That's my ass-kicking magic man." Tony grinned.

Stephen offered him a brief smile, clearly touched by the compliment.

"It's gonna be rough," He grew serious again. "This is your last chance to stay back and keep safe. I'll bring back the alternates, they'll protect you."

Tony cocked his head to one side. He made a face, halfway between affectionate and pity.

"Honey, you'll have to tie me down and gag me before I abandon you like that."

Inhaling deeply, Stephen reached out. They joined hands, scarred flesh meeting smooth metal. Squaring his shoulders, Stephen took the first step off the edge and Tony followed.

They gently floated down, easily drifting past an infinite expanse of stars. They tumbled for any where between five seconds and five years before the next plane of subconsciousness came into view. They righted themselves, feet pointed down, and gently landed.

"Is this--"

"Your workshop."

Tony looked around. It was his old one as well, the one that used to reside in Malibu. The lay out was perfectly accurate, down to the skid marks on the floor, the grease stains on the counter, every individual wayward nut and bolt. Tony skimmed a hand across one of his favorite cars. It'd been destroyed long ago but still looked shiny and new.

"Why is this here?" He asked.

"This is the first workshop you introduced me to," Stephen smiled, stroking a finger down Tony's main desk. "It was an early date-- I asked to see where all your best ideas came to life. I'll never forget how delighted you looked when I showed genuine interest."

Tony opened his mouth, only to snap it shut. The air felt thick and heavy. The pair whipped around, looking to the shop's only entrance.

Oozing down the stairs was an amorphous blob. It swirled with malicious energies, dragging with it a cloud of smog. The entity inside looked metallic but behaved like a liquid, filling the little alcove to the brim. The glass walls began to crack and splinter.

"It's gonna break in." Stephen took an offensive stance, fists raised.

"Not while I'm here-- JARVIS?" 

" **Lovely to see you again, sir. How may I assist?** "

"Raise the blast shields," Tony barked, running towards the back of the room. "Open up vault 23-A while you're at it."

" **Right away, sir.** "

Thick metal panels rose from the floor, entirely covering every inch of glass. While the cracking stopped, a bubble began to form in the shield. The mass was gradually breakimg through, albeit at a slower pace. Tony made his way to vault 23-A, delighted to find the Mark XXIII waiting for him. He ripped out its central power converter, carrying it to his desk. A few minutes of hot wiring had it mostly dismantled. The battery hummed, glowing a bright white. 

"I'm gonna wire this into your mainframe, Jay," Tony ordered, exposing the device's underside port. "Gimme a countdown of one minute, power output at 100%, copy?"

" **Countdown started. 59. 58. 57. 56--** "

"How the hell do we get into the next area?" Tony asked, ushering Stephen to the opposite end of the shop. "Because when that goes off, there isn't really gonna be anywhere else to stand."

"Here, let me--"

Stephen faced one wall. He summoned a sigil, painting the center with a triangular rune. It burned from bright orange to a brighter blue before firing off a massive beam of energy. The wall exploded outwards, making a hole to jump through.

"Let's go." Stephen held out his hand.

Behind them came a metallic screech. Just as the entity broke through the shield, the countdown ended. A massive explosion of raw power ripped across the workshop, absolutely decimating it to ash. Stephen and Tony jumped just in time, wooshing through empty space. They landed faster than before, breaking into a swift jog down immaculately sanitized hallways.

"We're in a hospital." Tony surmised.

"Not just any hospital-- the last one I did surgery in before the accident," Stephen glanced at every door, counting under his breath. "I was here for years."

They rounded countless corners before Tony stopped. Stephen waited for him to catch his breath. He took in his surroundings. They were flanked on either side by empty gurneys. Hospital curtains were pulled back. Stephen wasn't even remotely squeamish but something in the air made his skin crawl. If only he could revisit such a profound memory under better circumstances.

"So. What exactly is the plan?" Tony huffed, leaning against a table of supplies.

"We lead this thing further away from my core subconscious," Stephen began. "We're moving outward, from positive memories I keep for times of duress to... Less pleasant thoughts. Where traumatic events are stored. In the deepest pit of emotional agony, we'll find a copy of the Dark Dimension. If we lead this thing there, it'll no doubt be slain."

"Hold on-- the  _Dark Dimension_?" Tony looked horrifed, standing up sharply. "Like where you faced  _Dormammu_?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"Stephen-- you could fucking  _die,_ " Tony stepped closer, gently gripping the sorcerer's upper arms. "Dormammu could fucking  _destroy you_."

"He won't. This is my own mind, I control it as I see fit--"

"Okay, but what if you can't? What if you fucking can't?"

Stephen held his gaze, calm green meeting heated brown. He didn't seem to blink at all as he inhaled.

"I'll be fine. Trust me. Please."

A rattling at the end of the hall drew their attention. The entity had caught up, lolling across the slick tile towards them. Stephen gave Tony a small smile.

"I'm powerless here if you can't trust me now, Anthony."

Gritting his teeth, Tony nodded.

"I trust you."

With a sharp grin, Stephen raised his arms, snapping his palms upwards. Thousands of scalpels, syringes, and tweezers rose from their carts. He rolled his wrists and they shot through the air like arrows. Each hit knocked the entity back a fraction, effectively pinning it in place. Walking backwards, Stephen kept up the assault until he was out of ammo. He made a wide sweeping arc with one hand, stacking gurney on top of gurney to barricade the hall. Once it was clogged, he took off with Tony at his heels.

"How do we get out of here?" Tony asked, skidding around a corner.

"If memory serves, there's a broom closet down one of these halls that should let us out."

It took some careful looking but they finally found it. Wrenching the door open, Stephen stepped inside. A gaping hole shaped much like a portal was cut into the wall. A sky full of stars waited just outside. Snatching at Tony's wrist, he bolted for the exit. They hopped through and fell once again.

This time, they landed somewhere not only recognizable but closer to present day.

"The Avengers compound." Tony breathed, landing on his feet.

"This is the last of the good areas," Stephen scowled, already marching across the foyer. "After this is gonna get... Bad."

"How are you so sure?"

Stephen twisted around. Bitter contempt shone in his eyes.

"I have nearly an equal amount of good and bad memories here," He explained, leading Tony down a wide hallway. "Our first meeting as a team, that first fight with Cap. Watching Peter's official induction ceremony, Sam and Bucky stealing my sling ring. That prank on Fury... And that prank on Fury."

"How is that a bad one?" Tony snorted a laugh.

"Hilarious, but I had the smell of bubblegum stuck in my nose for weeks after."

Tony snickered, watching the sorcerer stride down the hall, shoulders stiff, head held high. It was slowly dawning on him that he was seeing some incredibly sensitive material here. In a few moments, he'd be taking a deep dive into Stephen's psyche, taking a first-hand look at his darkest fears.

They made their way down a few more halls, through the cafeteria, past a couple training rooms, until they reached one of the side exits. Across the lawn, down a gravel path, the memory dropped off. The only thing blocking them from free open space was the entity. It seemed to be pacing, dragging itself around in circles. The grass underneath it wilted and died, turning a depressing dark brown.

"How the  _fuck_ did it catch up?" Tony hissed under his breath.

"I'm guessing my resolve is beginning to decay," Stephen muttered back. "You said I've been under for a week-- my body and mind have been weakened. Otherwise, this would probably be no sweat."

Stephen scanned the area. Parked on a nearby helipad was a jet. If he could whip it around and slam it into the entity, he might just be able to buy themselves enough time. Only if they ran. Even then, it was risky. The living hunk of poison could move deceptively fast when it wanted. They could be consumed within moments.

"Hey uh," Tony spoke up, eyes wide. "If you die in here, you go insane on the outside but uh. What if I die in here?"

"Your body becomes an empty husk as your consciousness is obliterated into nothing."

"Cool, cool. Sounds good."

Stephen inhaled deeply, bracing himself. He looked back at Tony, offering him a confident smile.

"On my count, we run. Don't stop, not for anything."

Tony toggled the presets on his gauntlets, ratcheting them up to full power. He flashed Stephen a quick thumbs up."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

They bolted through the doors, running hard against the gravel. Snapping both arms upwards, Stephen yanked the jet from its parking spot and slammed it to the side. The entity dodged most of the attack, clipping its body with a wing. It staggered, only to continue its pursuit. Panic clamped down around Tony's throat. He raised one of his hands, slugging a powerful energy blast into the beast. As it took the full force, it fired back. Pain unlike anything ripped its way through Tony. He could feel searing hot fire clawing at his bones, turning his vision white--

 

He was back at the Sanctum.

Wong shot up from his seat. His face was surprisingly open, fear marring his features.

"Stark?" He said, stumbling over. "Stark, what happened?"

"Oh my fucking god," Tony gasped. He looked down at his legs. They were perfectly unharmed. "Oh shit, Wong, I need to get back-- Stephen's gonna use the Dark Dimension to get rid of that  _thing_."

"The Dark Dimension?! But he can't--"

"Fuck, fuck,  _fuck_ \--"

Tony recrossed his legs, curling blunt nails into the meat of his palms as he grit his teeth. Dipping his neck downward, he pressed his forehead against Stephen's.

 

\--He was in the subconscious world again.

Tony didn't recognize his surroundings. It was dark and rainy, the moon a bare sliver where it hung in the sky. He looked around, rising from the asphalt. A distance away was a figure, standing firmly in the center of the road.

Stephen.

"Steph?!" Tony called, staggering down the street. His legs were reforming bit by bit as his sanity knit itself back together. "Stephanie, baby, what the fuck are you doing--"

Headlights reared around the curve. A sports car, black and sleek like a panther, raced down the road. Tony screamed, trying his best to run, only to stumble and trip. Stephen didn't even flinch.

The car swerved, missing him entirely as it flew off the street. It hit the metal barrier, careening off the cliff, tumbling hard before smashing into the ravine below. Tony watched, gobsmacked.

"That was my accident," Stephen was suddenly a foot away. His hair was flat from the pouring rain. "That's. That's what started it all."

Horror carved itself into Tony's heart. What an awful thing to witness. It had to be a thousand times worse to experience. He stretched out his hand, eager to give comfort, when the air thickened. The entity was back. Without saying a word, Stephen led Tony to the edge of the cliff, where metal had been ripped from the ground. There, at the edge of the ravine, was a gap in the memory. Stars twinkled in the distance.

"Go," Stephen commanded, his voice cold like steel. "I'll catch up with you. I swear."

"You swore we'd be fine at the compound." Tony shot back, grinding his teeth.

The sorcerer looked empty. Facing such trauma in his already malnourished state was beginning to wear him down. Flicking his wrist upwards, he nudged Tony off the cliff, watching him tumble safely out and into open space.

 

Tony drifted for a while. He saw flashes of memories gently float by. Here, at the edge of Stephen's subconscious, he was surrounded by misery. He caught glimpses of the fight against Thanos. Somewhere had to be all fourteen-million plus alternate realities. He could see himself by Stephen's side, dying over and over and over. 

There were memories Tony had never heard of, mostly taking place throughout the multiverse. Distant planets, concurrent timelines, parallel dimensions. Many were truly frightening, almost hellish in appearance. He shuddered. No wonder these were lodged firmly at the back of Stephen's mind. They seemed awful to merely consider. Living with them in your head had to be a demon of its own.

Finally, Tony found himself nearing the end of his journey.

The stars around him faded out, replaced by psychedelic looking planets and celestial oddities. Everything was either darker than night or a sickly neon hue. The very air felt oppressive, like a summer's day with 100% humidity and not a drop of rain.

The Dark Dimension.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, Tony began to search. He jumped from land mass to land mass, the low force of gravity allowing him to soar. Ducking under asteroids and weaving between globules of unknown matter, he slowly made his way deeper and deeper into the nightmare. After what felt like ages, he spotted that familiar swath of calming blue.

"Stephen!" Tony called, giving the ground an especially hard kick. He sailed over, only to be knocked back by some unseen force. "Stephen, I'm here!"

The sorcerer gave him a sideways glance. They were so close, almost close enough to touch, but something kept Tony back. He struggled against the invisible barrier, only to realize what was going on.

"Stephen Vincent Strange, I swear to fucking god," Tony growled. He thrusted his fist forwards, only to have his arm wrenched back. "I will fucking. I'll fucking kill you, I really fucking mean it--"

Stephen smiled. It was the same smile he'd given Tony so long ago, back on the dust cloud that was Titan. It was small and genuine, drenched in pain and lifted by acceptance.

"Dormammu! I've come to bargain!"

From the swirling darkness, a face manifested. It oozed malicious intent with glowing crimson eyes and a mouth like an open wound. Stephen steeled himself, chest out, head high.

" **You,** " Dormammu snarled, looking down upon the sorcerer as if he were nothing more that a dust mote. " **You are that annoying whelp from before.** "

"Yeah, I'm here to annoy you some more, bitch," Stephen spat. "You exist here in my memories. If I go, you go. You owe me. As such, you'll do as I say."

Dormammu laughed and the very fabric of reality trembled. His influence ran deep, striking fear into the infrastructure of Stephen's subconscious.

" **I owe you nothing, worm,** " Dormammu drew himself upwards. " **Perish**."

Just as he primed an absolute bloodbath, Tony remembered his voice.

"This is all in your head, Stephen!" He yelled. "You've lived through this before and you  _kicked ass_. Dormammu didn't have you then and he  _definitely_  doesn't have you now!"

" **Silence, insect.** "

"You don't have to face him alone anymore! You don't have to face anything alone anymore!"

Tony screamed his voice hoarse. Tears poured down his cheeks.

"You have a family now! A family that loves you! Peter, the Avengers, Wong-- we all love you, Stephen! And we won't let you fight alone ever again!"

Cresting over the edge of darkness came the entity. It was enormous now, nearly the size of the moon. It undulated and thrashed, casting out a fog that threatened to suffocate. Tony found himself choking on air, his sanity steadily smothered by its influence. He watched, helpless, as Dormammu reared his ugly head, power surging from the pit of his being.

For the last time, everything went white.

 

Tony woke up on the floor. His face was smooshed against old weathered hardwood flooring. He could taste hundreds of years of dust at the back of his throat. Coughing dryly, he picked himself up and groaned.

Wong was kneeling, bent over Stephen's limp body. The runes had faded, leaving a slight imprint on the floor. It was utterly silent.

Finally, after what felt like centuries, Stephen breathed.

His chest heaved as he sucked in a shaky breath. Clenching his fists, he wobbled upright. He gagged, eyes growing wide. Wong thrust forward a wastebin just in time. A mouthful of dark colored metallic sludge pooled past Stephen's lips, landing into the basket with a sickening slap. He shuddered a few times, spitting until his saliva ran clear. Besides that, he looked completely unharmed, albeit slightly malnourished.

"Thank the fucking Vishanti," Wong mumbled, one hand supporting the curve of Stephen's spine. "You absolute madman, I swear."

Tony staggered over, collapsing between the two. They all shared a round of nervous laughter, overwhelmed with relief. It took a while before anyone could speak.

"So," Tony piped up. "How'd it go?"

"Well," Stephen chuckled, looking awfully pale. "Thanks to you, I. I gained control. Dormammu blasted that fucking piece of shit out of existence on my command. I. I couldn't have done it without you, without both of you."

"All I ask is for you to stop being such a self-sacrificing douche bag so I can actually get a good night's rest once in my life." Wong grumbled, though a delicate smile lingered on his lips.

Stephen returned the gesture, reaching out to clasp his best friend's shoulder. Between them, Tony coughed.

"I think we all deserve a damn good reward," He proposed. "There's one of those conveyer belt sushi places a block from here that I haven't tried yet. You guys game?"

"I could go for a good spicy tuna roll," Wong agreed. "Stephen?"

"Only if dessert's included." The Sorcerer Supreme grinned.

"Wow, okay, I see your ulterior motives now, Strange. You worm your way into my heart just so I can buy you sweets, you absolute glutton."

The laughter was less forced this time. They all rose together, making their way across the Sanctum towards the stairs. As Wong neared the front door, Stephen held Tony back.

"I know we do some death defying shit on a regular basis," Stephen lowered his voice. He looked exhausted beyond belief but a spark shone behind his gaze. "But you really saved me back there. I mean. On a whole other level. I. I think--"

"Hey," Tony held a single finger against Stephen's lips. His smile was nothing but lovestruck. "Add it to your vows, okay?"

Tony started down the stairs, snickering under his breath when Stephen gasped a few moments later. His footsteps were hard as he bolted to catch up.

"Tony-- did you just propose?! Anthony Stark, did you just fucking propose to me-- get your smug little ass back here, oh my god!"

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this entire fic just for the scene with Stephen surrounded by Tonys so I hope the rest of the fic is up to snuff;;;  
> Come say hi over at doobler on tumblr!


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